Surgical clamp



9 1963 s. RODBARD 3,111,124

SURGICAL CLAMP Filed March 15. 1961 INV EN TOR.

51mm Rodbard,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,111,124 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,124 SURGICAL CLAMP Simon Rodbard, 2199 Main St., Buffalo, NY. Filed Mar. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 95,907 11 Claims. (Cl. 128-346) This invention relates to surgical instruments and more particularly to an instrument known in the surgical art as a circumciser.

An instrument in common use in the surgical art to facilitate circumcision is known generally as a circumcision clamp. This instrument is designed to position the parts of the penis to facilitate circumcision, the actual circtuncision being effected by means of a scalpel or other cutting instrument [which is extraneous to the clamp itself and separately manipulated by the surgeon.

The present invention comprises an instrument which accomplishes the clamping or positioning function of these prior art instruments in a new and more highly effective manner and which, in addition, includes means for performing the actual circumcision in a more facile and elfective manner than heretofore, the latter means cooperating with the novel clamping arrangement to provide a high degree of safety against damage to the glans during the operation.

In addition to the above the clamp portion of the instrument of the present invention is adjustable in. a manner which provides an accurately controlled clamping action which may be relied upon to retain the prepuce under moderate pressure after the circumcision until the blood congeals suificiently to stop bleeding. Because of the nice degree of clamping pressure control the clamping may be regulated so that it is tight enough to stop bleeding without danger of traumatizing the tissue.

In circumcision clamps of the prior art such adjustment of the clamping action as has been provided is so remote and indeterminate in degree as to prevent the safe and certain accomplishment of the foregoing purposes. Furthermore, such circumcision clamps as have found a degree of acceptance in the surgical profession have required an entirely separate and independent manual circumcision of the prepuce after the organ is positioned in the clamp.

A further important objection to circumcision clamps of the prior art resides in the fact that they do not reliably retain the penis securely and certainly in the desired position in the instrument for safe and effective performance of the operation. In the instrument of the present invention, entirely apart from the circumcision portion thereof, the clamp portion is provided with novel means for applying a partial vacuum within the glans receiving portion of the device to hold the glans firmly therein without damaging clamping or pressure forces.

Other objects and advantages of the circumcision instrument of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the surgical arts from a consideration of the exemplary form of the instrument of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the following specification. However, it is to be understood that such embodiment is by way of example only and to illustrate the principles of the in vention and that the scope of the invention is not limited to the form shown nor otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a general side elevational view of one form of the circumcision instrument of the present invention;

FIG. '2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the parts forming one side of the cutting portion of the instrument of P168. 1 through 3.

Like characters of reference denote like parts through out the several figures of the drawing. A frame member designated generally by the reference character it has fixed thereto a tubular member 1.1 which has a bell or cup-slraped member 12 fixed to an end thereof adjacent to a depending portion 13 of frame member 19. Clamp means designated generally by the numeral 15 in FIG. 1 and cutting means designated generally by the numeral 16 are both pivoted to the depending portion 13 of frame member 11 by a common pivot pin 17.

The clamp means 15 comprises a pair of semi-circular arms 18 and *19 each held at one end by pivot pin 17 for swinging movement toward and away from the periphery of the cup-shaped member -12. At their other ends the arms 18 and 19 have bifurcated radial extensions designated 20 and 21, respectively. A screw 23 is pivoted at its end in the bifurcation of the extension 2% and is adapted to swing into the bifurcation of extension 21 when the arms are closed about the cup-shaped member 12 as shown in full lines in the various figures, the clamp means 15 and cutting means 16 being both shown in open positions in dot and dash lines in FIG. 2.

A head member 24 is threaded to the outer end of screw 23 and may be adjusted thereon to regulate the spacing of the clamp arms 18 and 19 with respect to the periphery of the cup-shaped member 12 when the arms are in closed and latched position. In FIG. 3 the glans shown at 25 in dot and dash lines is disposed within the cup-shaped member 12 and the prepuce shown at 26 is clamped to the periphery thereof by the arms 18 and 19. The adjustment of head 24 on screw 23 determines the degree of clamping pressure applied when the arms 18 and 19 are in closed and latched position.

The cutting means 16 likewise comprises a pair of semicircular arms, designated 27 and 28, also mounted at their ends for swinging movement toward and away from cup-shaped member 12 by pivot pin 17. For this purpose cutting arm '28 has a bifurcated end portion 29 and cutting arm 27 has an end bearing portion 30 which fits in the bifurcation of the pivoted end portion 29 of arm 28.

The internal periphery of each of the cutting arms 27 and 28 is grooved to form ledges such as indicated at 32 in FIG. 4 and arcuate cutting blades 34 having internal cutting edges seat upon ledges 32 and project radially inwardly thereof as indicated in FIG. 3. Arcuate blade retaining bars 35, likewise shown disassembled in FIG. 4, overlie the blades 34 and blade clamping screws 36 pass through openings 37 in the bars 35' and notches 33 in the blades 34 and thread into the ledges 3 2 to retain the blades 34 firmly against ledges 32.

As shown in FIG. 3 the cup-shaped member 12 has a pair of spaced annular bead or ridge formations 40 and 41 and cutting blades 34 are arranged to register with the space between these ridges and preferably cooperate with one of the ridges in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 to shear the prepuce completely and cleanly upon closure of the cutting arms 27 and 28 about the cup-shaped member 12. To facilitate thus closing the cutting arms and applying the desired shearing pressure thereto the outer ends of the arms 27 and 28 are provided with finger extensions 42 and 43, respectively.

A flexible rubber bulb 44 is fitted over the upper or outer end of tubular member 11 as shown in FIG. 1 and bulb 44 cooperates in a novel manner in drawing the glans into the interior of the cup-shaped member 12 and retaining the same therein during the circumcision, thus properly positioning the glans preliminary to the operation for more effective clamping of the prepuce and consequent improvement in the general safety and efiicacy of the instrument.

Other means for similarly applying sub-atmospheric pressure within the cup-shaped member 12 may be employed and, in the instance shown herein, the rubber bulb 44 may be proportioned to apply a desired effective degree of partial vacuum. Ordinarily the surgeon will collapse the bulb 44 with his fingers, insert or partially insert the glans in the cup-shaped member, and then release the bulb and close the clamp arms 18 and 19. The organ is then properly positioned for circumcision and the operation is completed by closing the cutting arms 27 and 28 as aforesaid. After severance of the prepuce, or the desired portion thereof, the clamp arms 18 and 19 may be left closed until the blood congeals to prevent excessive bleeding.

I claim:

1. A circumsion instrument having a cup-shaped portion for receiving the glans with the prepuce disposed thereabout, a fluid pressure passage leading from the interior of said cup-shaped portion, and means for applying sub-atmospheric pressure to said passage for yieldably urging the glans inwardly with respect to said cup-shaped portion, and clamp means disposable about said cupshaped portion for holding the prepuce thereagainst.

2. In a circumcision instrument, a sleeve member having an open end for receiving the glans with the prepuce disposed about the periphery of said sleeve member adjacent to said open end, and means for applying subatmospheric fluid pressure to the interior of said sleeve member to urge the glans inwardly thereof, and clamp means disposable about said sleeve member adjacent to its open end for holding the prepuce thereagainst.

3. A circumcision instrument comprising a cup-shaped portion having an open end for receiving the glans with the prepuce disposed about the periphery of said cupshaped portion, arcuate knife means engageable against said periphery to sever the prepuce, clamp means disposable about said periphery between said open end and said knife means to clamp said prepuce against said periphery prior to said severance, and means for applying sub-atmospheric pressure within said cup-shaped portion to hold the glans therein.

4. A circumcision instrument comprising a frame, a sleeve member carried thereby and having an open end for receiving the glans with the prepuce disposed about said sleeve member adjacent to said open end, knife means carried by said frame and movable relative to said sleeve member to sever said prepuce, clamp means disposable about said sleeve member between its open end and said knife means to clamp said prepuce during severance, and means for creating sub-atmospheric pressure within said sleeve member to hold the glans in the open end thereof.

5. A circumcision instrument comprising a frame, a sleeve member carried thereby and having an open end for receiving the glans with the prepuce disposed about said sleeve member adjacent to said open end, knife means carried by said frame and movable relative to said sleeve member to sever said prepuce, clamp means disposable about said sleeve member to clamp said prepuce against said sleeve member during severance, and means for creating sub-atmospheric pressure within said sleeve member to hold the glans in the open end thereof.

6. In a circumcision instrument, a support member, a cup-shaped member fixed thereto for receiving the glans therein with the prepuce disposed externally thereof, said support member having a portion disposed radially outwardly of said cup-shaped member, a pair of generally semi-circular clamp members pivoted at their ends to said portion of said support member and adapted to be moved toward said cup-shaped member to embrace the same and clamp said prepuce, and a second pair of semicircular members having cutting edges at their inner peripheries, said second pair of semi-circular members being disposed adjacent to said first pair toward the closed end of said cup-shaped member and being likewise pivoted at their ends to said portion of said support member for movement radially inwardly against the exterior of said cup-shaped member to sever said prepuce.

7. In a circumcision instrument, a sleeve member closed at one end and open at the other end to receive a glans therein with the prepuce disposed externally thereof, a rigid tube extending from the closed end of said sleeve, a support member connected rigidly to said tube and having a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said sleeve member, two adjacent pairs of generally semicircular arms pivoted at their ends to said support member portion and adapted to move toward said sleeve to embrace the same, one of said pairs of arms acting to clamp said prepuce and the other comprising knife means for severing the same, and means for applying sub-atmospheric pressure to said tube to communicate the same to the interior of said sleeve member to urge said glans into said sleeve member.

8. In a circumcision instrument, a sleeve member closed at one end and open at the other end to receive a glans therein with the prepuce disposed externally thereof, a support member connected rigidid-ly to said sleeve member and having a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly thereof, two adjacent pairs of generally semicircular arms pivoted at their ends to said support member portion and adapted to move toward said sleeve to embrace the same, one of said pairs of arms acting to clamp said prepuce and the other comprising knife means for severing the same.

9, In a circumcision instrument, a sleeve member closed at one end and open at the other end to receive a glans therein With the prepuce disposed externally thereof, a rigid tube extending from the closed end of said sleeve, a support member connected rigidly to said tube and having a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said sleeve member, two adjacent pairs of generally semi-circular arms pivoted at their ends to said support member portion and adapted to move toward said sleeve to embrace the same, one of said pairs of arms acting to clamp said prepuce and the other comprising knife means for severing the same, and a manually collapsible resilient bulb member at the outer end of said tube Where- 'by the same may be collapsed before introduction of the glans and released to urge the glans into said open end of the sleeve member.

10. In a circumcision instrument, a support member including a sleeve portion closed at one end and open at the other end to receive a glans therein 'with the prepuce disposed externally thereof, said support member including a fluid passage extending from the closed end of said sleeve, said support member having a port-ion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said sleeve portion, two adjacent pairs of generally semi-circular arms pivoted at their ends to said outwardly disposed portion and adapted to move toward said sleeve portion to embrace the same, one of said pairs of arms acting to clamp said prepuce and the other comprising knife means for severing the same, and means for applying subatmospheric pressure to said fluid passage to communicate the same to the interior of said sleeve member to urge said glans into said sleeve member.

11. In a circumcision instrument, a support member including a sleeve portion closed at one end and open at the other end to receive a glans therein with the prepuce disposed externally thereof, said support member including a fluid passage extending from the closed end of said sleeve, said support member having a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said sleeve portion, two adjacent pairs of generally semi-circular arms pivoted at their ends to said outwardly disposed portion and a p to move toward said sleeve portion to embrace the same, one of said pairs of arms acting to clampsaid prepuce References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,888 King Ian. 3, 1928 2,076,468 LaBreck Apr. 6, 1937 2,294,852 Smith Sept. 1, 1942 6 Baker May 29, Kanner Mar. 6, Hyatt Apr. 10, Sell Feb. 24, Rinaldy Jan. 5, Fosdal July 19,

OTHER REFERENCES Dr. Lindseys Circumcision Clamp, pamphlet of J. 10 Sklar Mfg. 00., 38-04 Woodside Ave., Woodside, Long Island, New York (received in US. Patent Ofiice May 20, 

1. A CIRCUMSION INSTRUMENT HAVING A CUP-SHAPED PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE GLANS WITH THE PREPUCE DISPOSED THEREABOUT, A FLUID PRESSURE PASSAGE LEADING FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID CUP-SHAPED PORTION, AND MEANS FOR APPLYINGING SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO SAID PASSAGE FOR YIELDABLY URGING THE GLANS INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CUP-SHAPED PORTION, AND CLAMP MEANS DISPOSABLE ABOUT SAID CUPSHAPED PORTION FOR HOLDING THE PREPUCE THEREAGAINST. 